Providence police sweep on handicapped parking nets excuses, fraud

Tuesday

Aug 27, 2013 at 7:33 AM

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- After parking meter checkers noticed an unusual number of cars with handicapped placards parked near the train station and downtown businesses, the Providence police began asking the drivers a straightforward question: Is this you

Amanda Milkovits Journal Staff Writer amandamilkovits

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- It's a bad sign when the answer is more convoluted than the question.

After parking meter checkers noticed an unusual number of cars with handicapped placards parked near the train station and downtown businesses, the Providence police began asking the drivers a straightforward question: Is this your handicapped placard?

Well...

A Woonsocket woman parked on Exchange Terrace and heading to work told Sgt. Paul Zienowicz that it was hers. Then, it was her husband's, whose name she couldn't quite remember. Then it was her son's.

The placard was actually listed to a man in Olneyville, who may or may not be a friend's husband. Whoever it belongs to, the placard remains on Zienowicz's desk waiting for its rightful owner to pick it up. And the placard's user, Lorraine Leclerc, 66, of Woonsocket faces a $500 fine or a date at Traffic Tribunal.

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More than 45,000 handicapped placards are issued in Rhode Island, allowing people with disabilities to use designated parking spaces or metered parking spaces for free. Each placard is assigned to a person, whether he or she is the driver or passenger.

When Zienowicz and Patrolman Thomas Connetta began checking handicapped placards late last week, they talked to several disabled people who quickly produced the certificates showing their placards were legitimate.

They "were very thankful we were doing this enforcement," Zienowicz said. "Sometimes they don't have convenient parking because people are using the [placards] fraudulently."

The police suspect fraud when they see an unusual number of cars sporting the handicapped placards near workplaces or the train station, where the signs allow them to park for free, for as long as they want.

"Not only is it an affront to the persons who have a disability and need the space, they're cheating the city out of revenue by parking there," Zienowicz said.

As motorists arrived early for work, the police were waiting.

Nancy Berretto, 64, of Warren, told police that she was using her partner's placard to park on Exchange Street in case she needed to rush home for an emergency, Zienowicz said. "I said, 'Wouldn't a rescue be more appropriate?' "

Also on Exchange Street, Wendy Mosher, 45, of Warwick, was using a placard from Connecticut that she said belonged to her brother, the police said. Susan Kirejczyk, 55, of Warwick, who was parked nearby, offered no excuse, Zienowicz said.

On Monday, Susan Smoller, 60, of Warwick, had her husband's placard while parked on Park Row, Zienowicz said.

All of the placards were seized and each driver was issued a summons to Traffic Tribunal and will face a $500 fine.

The police will continue to check the downtown area for fraud, Zienowicz said.

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